MISSION Learners are successful.
Learning is engaging and innovative.
VISION
Community is nurtured and celebrated.
To learn more about our progress and our process, visit calgaryacademy.com/strategic-plan.
WELCOME TO THE NEWEST EDITION OF CAPTIVATE! We are delighted to present the highlights of another amazing year at Calgary Academy. From creative learning projects that demonstrate our school’s commitment to engaging and effective learning, to the continued growth of our Blended+ program, there was so much learning to celebrate and highlight last year. Events like Dig Pink, Adopt-a-Family, and the new Golfing for Good event (in partnership with Headwater Learning Foundation) are examples of the impact Calgary Academy has on its community. We also feature five alumni in this edition who are living lives of passion and purpose, inspiring their peers and the educators who helped them succeed! Lastly, we successfully launched our Annual Fund and numerous initiatives that supported it, including Shaw Birdies for Kids and the Plewes Family Challenge. The Philanthropy team is here to be your connection point to this amazing school community. Please reach out if you have any questions. With gratitude,
Dr. Greg Bass
Debra Klippenstein
President & CEO
Director of Philanthropy
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STUDENT CLUBS CATV is a club of students responsible for filming bi-weekly segments available for everyone in the school. Like the CTVs and CBCs of the world, CATV keeps the school up to date on the latest happenings. Entirely student-run, the news program captures the CA experience from the most important perspective—the students.
DIFFERENT WAYS TO LEARN Junior School teacher Sophie Bresciani founded the readCAst podcast—a virtual book club between students and teachers. It offers more than a fun atmosphere to talk about the latest literature—providing students with a unique space to improve various skills. Learners work on their public speaking while sharing their opinions, disagreements, likes, and dislikes.
KNIGHTS ATHLETICS Badminton has always been present at Calgary Academy, but the sport has grown throughout the student body. While CA celebrated championships this season, the heart of the sport is the lessons students learn throughout their games and practices.
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CALGARY ACADEMY COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT 2022-2023
PROJECT HOPE Project Hope was a K–12 literacy project that challenged students and staff to reflect on the COVID-19 journey through a personal writing exercise—a collaborative project between physician, photographer, and current CA parent, Dr. Heather Patterson. Nearly 400 students and staff created writing pieces.
HANDS-ON LEARNING Calgary Academy teacher Lanny Donde’s latest project has been almost 20 years in the making, applying skills he developed early in his career. Mr. Donde and Construction Lab teacher Graham Diehl help students learn hands-on bike skills in the classroom while inspiring their passion. Students supported Sport Chek stores—assembling bikes while learning valuable skills.
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STUDENT SUCCESS The Last of Us intrigued many Canadians this year with much of the series being filmed in Alberta. Besides locations, the show features local talent, including one of Calgary Academy’s very own: Caleb H! Before getting in front of the camera, Caleb has spent years with CA’s drama program as an actor and student.
JUNIOR DRAMA PRODUCTION Calgary Academy’s Junior School students performed a teacher-written play this December, Detective Devaroe and The Disappearing Diamonds. Writer and director of Detective Devaroe and CA educator Charlotte Nixon grew up reading the tales of Sherlock Holmes with her father, fostering a love of the genre.
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CALGARY ACADEMY COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT 2022-2023
BLENDED+ TEACHERS THRIVE The first year of Blended+ for Grades 11 and 12 has taught several lessons. For the newest Blended+ Humanities teachers, Meagan Heard and Markus Gierl, their first year teaching in the program came with many surprises and welcome changes to how they view education and how learning is only evolving in a post-pandemic world.
INTEGRATED STUDIES Calgary Academy teacher Jamie Lafond has taught art for over 30 years. You can easily find his class by looking for walls lined with studentmade masks and the gigantic paint palette hanging over the door. His art room is a treasure trove of old projects, art supplies, and music.
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: ADAM Adam Bourns (’11) is the current program director at Evolve Ski Cross team, but his snow sports roots began at Calgary Academy. He often remembers the significance of his time at CA. Besides helping him grow as a person and develop his love of skiing, CA helped him understand there’s a solution to any challenge you face. You just have to look for it.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: ANNA Anna Dawson (’19) has been up to a lot since graduation, bringing her “say yes” attitude with her as she navigates her final year in university. She has travelled, volunteered, and made the most of her post-secondary career as she enters her fifth year at the University of Toronto.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: AIDAN Aidan Lane (’21) joined Calgary Academy in Grade 4, looking for a more supportive environment. Dyslexia and ADHD made school difficult, but the support of Aidan’s teachers helped him catch up on his learning. Now two years post-graduation, Aidan looks forward to a future in engineering.
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CALGARY ACADEMY COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT 2022-2023
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: KHOBE You can catch Khobe Clarke (’19) in several hit shows, including Yellowjackets and Firefly Lane. Khobe attended Calgary Academy from Grade 7 to Grade 12 and was actively involved in the Calgary Academy culture. After graduation, he set out to make his dreams a reality.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: DANICA For Danica McConnell (‘12), Calgary Academy is the definition of home, a safe place where she thrived. Danica credits her teachers as a support system, helping her navigate personal issues outside of school and encouraging her to be her best.
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ADOPT-A-FAMILY Calgary Academy helped raise funds and awareness for disadvantaged families through Closer to Home’s Baby Drive, Cool Kids Care, and Adopt-a-Family. With over $10,000 raised and two trucks overflowing with diapers, cribs, strollers, and other necessities, students, staff, and families helped spread some holiday cheer. The amount of money raised isn’t important—the thought, care, and kindness behind these donations are the real gift.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL STUDIES Each year, the International Travel Studies trip caps off months of altruistic work. This year’s trip took staff and students back to Tanzania, the destination of the original ITS trip in 2005. Students hauled cement, rocks, and dirt to construct new bathrooms and helped create a mural at the school, leaving behind the memory of a lifetime.
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CALGARY ACADEMY COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT 2022-2023
DIG PINK 2022 This year was the 14th annual Dig Pink tournament, the first in-person event since 2019. Raising over $10,000 for breast cancer research, Dig Pink was a total success. While games only lasted a few days, Calgary Academy celebrated for the entire week, decorating classrooms, sponsoring players, and raising funds.
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SHAW BIRDIES FOR KIDS Shaw Birdies for Kids, presented by AltaLink is an essential fundraiser for Calgary Academy, annually impacting the lives of our students. Each year CA selects a new project to fund through this initiative. For the 2022-2023 school year, funds raised helped transform CA’s Junior Science Lab to help enhance student learning. Over $17,500 was raised!
GOLFING FOR GOOD This year’s Golfing for Good tournament was a resounding success. Calgary Academy’s partner organization, Headwater Learning Foundation, helped raise awareness, support research, and fund mental health programs for youth. Besides a wonderful day on the course, Headwater Learning Foundation raised just under $50,000 by Golfing for Good. Stay tuned for more information on the 2024 tournament.
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CALGARY ACADEMY COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT 2022-2023
MAIL APPEAL AND THE PLEWES FAMILY CHALLENGE.
Kiera R., Erica Bayley and Jason Valleau
Addison H. and Christine Talukdar
The Annual Fund is one way for the CA community (parents, grandparents and staff) to band together and support our school’s places and spaces, teaching and learning, and areas of greatest need and opportunity. Every dollar counts and together with the support of the $25,000 Plewes Family Challenge gift, we surpassed our $50,000 goal. Thank you to everyone who donated!
EXEMPLARY PRACTICE AND STUDENT SHOWCASE The Exemplary Practice and Student Showcase awards happen twice a year in February and June, showcasing exceptional members of the Calgary Academy who demonstrate excellence, leadership, and innovation. This year, CA was proud to recognize student Kiera R. and teachers Erica Bayley and Jason Valleau in February, and in June, student Addison H., and Creative and Web Lead Christine Talukdar.
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MCCAIG SPOTLIGHT A longstanding legacy at Calgary Academy is the Jane McCaig Award. The award’s objective is to encourage students to continue learning, awarded to a student in Grades 9–11. The Jane McCaig Award has been presented for the past 28 years, but Jane McCaig (’88) never knew how long her legacy would last.
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PROSSER FOUNDATION SUPPORT The Prosser Charitable Foundation provides generous annual support to deserving CA students. This year they provided $20,000 in bursary support to five of our students.
BURSARIES SUPPORT CA STUDENTS The James Chaput Bursary Fund contributed $250,000 in bursaries for the 2022 – 2023 school year, in addition to over $110,000 of funds contributed by the Calgary Academy Parent’s Association (CAPA), to support a total of 38 students.
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Interested in learning about more CA stories? Calgary Academy Philanthropy Department Phone 403.686.6444 give@calgaryacademy.com
1677 93 Street SW, Calgary, AB T3H 0R3